Bowling Tips For Beginners

Just starting out in the world of bowling?  Then I welcome you to a fun and exciting arena of participating in such a sport that you can truly enjoy with anybody whether you’re looking to find a hobby, fill in a weekly outing schedule or even consider jumping headlong into as a career.

There are many differing factors that go into the game of bowling that may be very easily overlooked by the typical beginner.  First off, there is the whole mental game that you must recognize and hone as part of your overall game.

Sure, you can ignore this aspect once in a while if you’re just out ot have a good time, but if you’re looking really improve your game and consider jumping into a competitive arena, such as a bowling league, overlooking the mental aspect will be first mistake that will be the hardest to recover from.

We’ll cover the physical aspect of the game here, but again, don’t forget to focus on that mental game just as often as that’s where the real game is managed.

Bowling Tips for Beginners

First off, every bowler should start out learning to master some basic points of courtesy.  Keep in mind that there are more than likely going to be other bowlers around, so offer some respect to them just as you’d like that same respect offered to you.  If you become “that guy/girl” that fails to play by the unwritten code of bowling, it will only add some serious negative rep to you and your game.

• Don’t Be Intimidated: When you first enter into a bowling alley as a beginner, you may experience a bit of a “culture” shock due in part that the bowling community is sometimes a close-knit group of individuals with their own language.  You may start hearing some new terms and phrases that may be gibberish to you and you may also notice some really good bowlers.  You’re there to have fun and learn at the same time, we all started out somewhere so don’t be afraid to take it all in.
• Find a Bowling Ball that Fits: If you don’t have your own bowling ball already, bowling alley’s typically have some that you can use, called “house balls”.  These are generally designed for beginners and do not have anything fancy done to them as far as drilling goes, but make sure you find a bowling ball that fits your fingers snugly enough to where they do not get stuck, holes that are not to large and the weight of the bowling ball is easy enough to manage.
• Bowling Shoes: First and foremost, although you may cringe at the thought of wearing bowling shoes in public and may fear causing a mass seizure amongst other bowlers, not every bowling shoe is made the same.  Rental shoes may appear a bit “different”, but they are a necessity unless you have purchased your own pair.  Much like regular shoes, ensure that the bowling shoes fit well and that the sliding surface is clean and free of debris.
• Respect Your Fellow Bowlers: Before you go too far out on your own, remember these basic rules of bowling courtesy.  There are some “unwritten” rules of the lanes that you should be aware of, so so your research and if you’re not sure, just ask…we’d rather have some of the new players ask the questions rather than not, and end up causing tension.
• Find Your Style (Delivery): Contrary to popular belief, bowling is not really a game of “chance” as far as simply rolling a ball sixty feet down a lane as hard and as fast as possible.  Fine tune your delivery in how you being your approach, match up your timing with the swing of the ball and finally, when and how to release the ball for maximum efficiency.
• HAVE FUN: Unless you’re planning to be the next Professional Bowler’s Tour champion, and even then you should still be having fun, learning the game of bowling should be just as fun as it is playing the game.  Sure, go for the bragging rights by smearing your friend’s up and down the alley, but keep it respectable and fun for you and the rest of the folks playing as well.

Bowling is truly a game that can be enjoyed by just about any level and age group…although I don’t recommend getting junior acquainted with that 16 pound bowling ball while he’s still in the stroller.  Nevertheless, I’ve bowled with children as young as my own five year old, and with fellow league players well into their nineties!

Enjoy the game and if you’ve just started and have any questions or just want to share your experience, hit me up with a comment below and tell us how it’s going.